I'm Jo Ann Hakola, The Book Faerie, bookworm and bookseller. I have been selling books since January of 2000. It's a homebased business and I sell online only. Here is my website: http:www.bookfaerie.com I offer free shipping stateside.
It's a one woman endeavor, and I love working for myself. I have over 6,000 books online now.
I do book reviews from a reader's point-of-view and try to spread the magic of reading.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

I hadn't read anything by Karen before, but thought this would be a good book to sample.

It's about a young man who gets seriously hurt when rescuing two young women. His life has been a bit helter skelter as he was growing up, and his parents are disappointed that he hasn't done better. He lost the girl he loved, gave up on God, and drank too much for a while and fathered a young girl he didn't know about until later.

Now he's working on getting his settlement for the accident, will have back surgery to help his health, and then he plans on retrieving his daughter and making himself a part of her life. He also has once again accepted God as part of his life.

Unfortunately, things don't always work out as planned.

Josh's mother, Annie, is devastated by his accidental death from pain medication for his back. And when she comes to help pack up his apartment, she finds out all kinds of things about her son that she hadn't known when he was alive. After all, she never asked or cared enough to find out or believed him when he said Savannah was his daughter.

But all that changes and suddenly she does have some hope for the future...

If you would like my copy of this book, leave a comment here on the blog and then send me an email at info@bookfaerie.com to tell me why you'd like to win it.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

I don't think James Patterson has ever written a boring book. His stories are always fast paced, full of scares, and you're never quite sure who's going to win in the end.

This book is another of his tales of the same ilk. He did have another author work with him on it, but the flavor of the book is Patterson's.

Detective Michael Bennett is the father of ten children (adopted) who lost his wife to cancer a year ago. He has a nanny and his father (who is now a priest) to help him with this challenge, but it becomes almost unmanageable when all the kids get the flu!

And then someone starts killing people...

They don't seem to be related killings, but the guns used are. Who is this guy? Why did he hate these people enough to kill them? Why would he kill them in public places?

As Michael and his unit try to find answers to these questions, more people die.

When Michael thinks he might finally have the rational for it and goes to put up a public guard on the next people he feels will be threatened, the killer goes to his apartment and takes his family hostage...

If you'd like my advance reader's copy of this book, leave me a comment here on the blog and send me an email at info@bookfaerie.com telling me why you'd like to win it. I'll do a drawing for it in a week or so.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

This book hit me close to home for two reasons: it talks about the illegal immigrant problem on the Mexican border and about abuse of power. I have strong feelings about both issues personally, so this book drew me right in...

Casey Johnson is back and she now runs a legal aid clinic. Most of her clients are Hispanic, and she has to use a translator to communicate with them. But she helps them all she can and protects their rights as the law provides.

Then she finds out that there is one corner of Texas called the Bermuda Triangle - Mexicans keep disappearing there...

When she finds out that an illegal Mexican immigrant was shot to death on the ranch there by a Senator and that it might not have been a hunting accident as stated, it becomes almost impossible to find out just what did happen and how because of the Senator's money and status.

She and her private eye Mexican friend are determined to find out the truth - but the cost of doing so is high.

It's even more frightening when you find out where the illegal immigrants have been transported and how they are being used...

The worst part is that conditions in Mexico aren't all that great and you can believe that this story could be true!

It's a good read. The subject matter might be a bit unpleasant, but it's how it is in many cases.

If you'd like my advance reading copy, just leave a comment here on the blog and send an email to info@bookfaerie.com . I'll pick a winner in a week or so!

I posted several books on that subject today. One of them has illustrations to show you how to do everything from a teepee to a wigwam.

I also posted a book titled: How to be Poor - which might be a useful attribute right now, LOL!

A few more days and I might even have my work area back for where I stack the books I want to list. The library cart was filled to overflowing and I didn't have them in any order, so it's taken a bit to work through them. But the piles are going down...

If I ever get caught up with I have to list, it'll be a miracle. A lot of these came out of my personal library when I was doing decluttering and downsizing. And there are all the eBay lots I buy. And the books I buy to read and then resell.

Sometimes I think books are like rabbits and can reproduce on their own... Otherwise my piles wouldn't keep growing like that!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Boy, the end of 2008 sure didn't want me working on my book business, let me tell you. First my FTP program quit working. Downloading it again didn't help. So I went looking for another. Went through six before I found one I liked. It's working out just fine and I hope it stays that way!

Then my scanner died. The post office misrouted the one coming in by priority mail. Took me almost two weeks to get it - and that was after I complained to the PO website. Sigh...

Then, last Tuesday, my internet connection disappeared. It appears the new parent company of Zianet is fighting with Qwest in court, and Qwest disconnected them for non-payment. Sky Wi says they are not past due. The PRC got involved. After two days of no service, I got my connection back. I'd been to the library in between to keep up with orders.

I'm hoping this problem will be permanently resolved and I don't suddenly lose connection again. Considering some Qwest staff told Zianet customers that the business had folded and they should sign up with them, I'm not overly happy with the thought of giving them my business. I had signed up for service, but cancelled it. Time will tell if I made the right decision.

So I have a new scanner, new FTP program and actually got my internet connection back - and I'm listing books!

I listed some new quilting books, a couple of them on patchwork. I also listed children's picturebooks today. Some of them were fairy tales. (I had to read them all first, of course.)

My Mom fell and broke a shoulder bone (went to church and slipped on the ice), so she's temporarily in an assisted living unit. My brother and his wife are trying to talk her into staying there. She's too fragile to live at home alone anymore. I don't know if she'll listen or not, but I doubt it. I worry about her. She can't walk well, occasionally falls, and I know she doesn't eat right. Being in a place where she has care would be good. We shall see...

Feeling a bit down today. I'll send Mom a letter and some books to read. And then I'll read a bit myself to make me feel better!